When do you let your teenager spend the night alone?
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Anonymous
| Never, I wouldn't even consider it till college. |
Anonymous
| NP. For those of you who would leave your teen alone overnight, how many nights in a row would you be comfortable with this? |
Anonymous
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16.5 year old has stayed home alone for one night at a time. Super responsible kid, I'm not worried about him at all.
One we've done one night a few times, we'll gradually start opening it up to 2-3 nights. He'll be a senior next year, so I kind of see it as a transition year to start getting him ready to move out. I'm surprised by the people who say not until college. I think that would have really freaked me out, to move out completely into a dorm without ever having spent a night by myself first. If you're worried about the kid - or worried about others taking advantage of his situation - won't those still be issues when they leave for college? I'd be more worried about the kid going nuts at college - or even just forgetting / getting lazy about details like locking the doors at night - if they've never had that kind of independence before. |
Anonymous
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We did:
13 for 1 night 14 or 15 (9th grade) for 2 - 3 16-17 (Junior year) for up to a week I think it really only worked decently because none of our kids seemed particularly interested in large parties and had no notable disciplinary issues. |
Anonymous
My kid was babysitting infants at night at 13yrs old and in college by 17yr old. How in the world is your 16yr old scared to be alone. That is poor parenting. Let me guess, you coddled and helicoptered and now have an anxious and insecure 16yr old |
Anonymous
The rationales on why parents can let their teens actually learning how to be an adult BEFORE becoming an adult is insane to me |
Anonymous
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We did at 16. It was actually before she could drive, for 3 nights.
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